Registering a birth, death or marriage

How to register a birth in Ireland

When your child is born, the hospital staff, doctor or midwife will send a birth registration form to the civil registration service.

You will still need to register the birth within 3 months of the date of birth. You can do this at any civil registration office, no matter where in the Republic of Ireland your baby was born.

A qualified informant must register the birth. A qualified informant is generally a parent or both parents.

Before going to a civil registration office, call them to check if your details are in the system. This can take 2 to 6 weeks.

Why you need to register a birth

It is the law in Ireland that you must register a birth.

You will need a birth certificate for many official activities. For example, to enroll your child in school or to apply for a passport or child benefit allowance.

Fees for registering a birth

Registering a birth is free. Re-registering to include a parent's details is also free. There is a fee to buy a certificate.

It costs €5 to insert or change a first name.

Information you need to register a birth

Information about your baby:

first name

birth surname - must be the birth surname of the father or mother or both

time, date and place of birth

gender

Information about the parents:

first names, birth surnames and any previous surnames

occupation

address at the time of birth

date of birth

marital or civil status

PPS numbers

birth surname of the mother's mother

Married parents registering a birth

If both parents are in a recognised marriage, one parent can register the birth. If you both want to sign the register you should both attend. If you register on your own, only one signature will appear on the birth certificate.

If the marriage was outside of Ireland, bring the original marriage certificate. If the document is not in English, you will need a certified translation.